Arlington resident attacked by knife-wielding assailant

Police are investigating an early-morning attack that sent one man to the hospital with knife wounds to his hands and arms.

Shauna Staveley

A 19-year-old man was taken to Lahey Clinic in Burlington after being stabbed early this morning.

The victim suffered “severe lacerations to his hands and arms,” said Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan, adding that they were defensive wounds.

According to Ryan, the assailant, wearing a hood pulled over his face, knocked on the door at 5 Colonial Village Drive at 5:23 a.m.

The victim and another man were attacked when they opened the door, Ryan said. Only the 19-year-old was reported to have injuries.

“The investigation is ongoing, (but) we do not believe this is a random act of violence,” Ryan said. “It appears that the victim and the friend were targeted by the perpetrator.”

The victim was a visitor in the apartment. Ryan said a police dog helped search the crime scene, and there was an undetermined amount of a controlled class D substance reportedly seized from the apartment.

The suspect has yet to be identified and reportedly fled before police arrived.